


Another Side

by anomeganeyatsu



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Bunny's like a brother, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, I Should Stop Now, Jack Being an Idiot, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Unresolved Issues, i don't know what to tag, mentions of Elsa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 07:36:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3241550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anomeganeyatsu/pseuds/anomeganeyatsu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[This is a sequel to Why Didn't You]</p><p>Every character has his side of the story. Take Jackson Overland-Frost's for the matter. He didn't want things to end up this way. All he wanted was for this to stop. He couldn't stand seeing Hiccup hurt or knowing the fact that he was the cause. But maybe it was really for the best. Besides, he makes a mess out of everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, so I've finally finished it. A few of you asked for an alternate ending and here it is lovelies. I hope I didn't mess this up.
> 
> I'd like to thank Carol for beta-ing this for me you my dear are the best. Thank you!!
> 
> Enjoy reading fellas!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot.

Jackson Overland-Frost was a lot of things. He was a great actor, a well enough babysitter, an athlete, a campus heartthrob, and a class clown. Wherever he went everybody knew him, everybody liked him. Kids loved him and girls went crazy for him. He was cocky, a bit of a goof, but he was nice and easy to get along with. But most of all, he was a master liar and a fucking idiot.

Jack buried his face in the steering wheel. How could he do this? How stupid could he get? _Two whole years._ He had waited that long before he finally got the courage to call Hiccup. He wanted to laugh because even up to now, the guy hadn’t changed his number. It was just… so Hiccup. He smiled, remembering the time that the auburn had told him how long he had been usingit when they exchanged numbers. He had rolled his eyes at him, the corner of his lips raising in a half-annoyed half-amused smile, but the memory was soon shattered when an image of Hiccup’s crying face that he had just seen a few moments ago flashed in his mind.

He wanted to meet him to explain, to tell him why he had left him—the words leaving a poisonous taste in his mouth—back then and win him back. Standing in front of the familiar brown door (it didn’t surprise him that the auburn didn’t change addresses too), memories of the night he had left him flooded into his mind. He was starting to regret his decision, questioning himself if he was really ready for this, but all his doubts flew away when the door opened to reveal Henry Haddock. Jack felt the wind get knocked out of him as his eyes took in the sight.His auburn hair had grown outand was decorated with two little braids behind his ear—the flecks of gold had somehow disappeared – and his emerald orbs bore into Jack’s, captivating him in a spell like they always had. He had also grown taller though he was still a few inches shy of Jack’s height, and his once scrawny body had transformed into a slender frame. Jack tried so hard to keep himself from pulling him into a kiss at that moment. Hiccup was beautiful, no, even more beautiful now that he could see him up close.

Alright, he wasn’t going to lie or deny it. Though Toothless and Hiro had warned him to stay away from Hiccup, Jack just couldn’t. For the past two years, he had followed everything that was happening in the auburn’s life. He watched him from afar, in the shadows, well-hidden and unnoticeable like a professional stalker (well, okay he was definitely a stalker. Handsome yes, but still creepy). He sent him gifts on his birthday and Christmas through Bunny, and left random things that would place a smile on the auburn whenever he saw him upset. He trusted Bunny wouldn’t reveal that they were in fact from him and sure enough, the man kept his lips sealed about the matter.

Seeing Hiccup again fuelled his heart and his resolve of winning him back hardened. But he realized that the longer he stayed in the auburn’s apartment, the more the tension grew around them, and he was losing his chance. The resolve and courage he had gathered for this day started to weaken until it finally crumbled at the sight of Hiccup’s tears and quavering voice. He didn’t know how much he had hurt him until that day when the younger had poured his heart out to him. All his anger, his frustration, his fears, his _pain_ —Jack was like a sponge absorbing everything and every single word that left Hiccup’s mouth was a stab to his heart. But there was nothing he could do. He deserved it for what he had done to Hiccup. He knew no explanation would justify what he did, not even the truth. The only words he could say were “I’m sorry” and he said them like his life depended on it.

Hugging the younger male in his arms felt like heaven and hell at the same time.Heaven because he had longed to hold him, to feel the auburn’s frame pressed against his and the comforting warmth that radiated from him. And Hell because he knew that the longer he held him the more he was hurting Hiccup and as much as he wished it wasn’t so, he knew this was going to be the last.

He tried to explain himself to Hiccup, who listened as tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. It was killing him to be this close and yet so far. He almost kissed him on the lips but quickly realized what he was doing and redirected it to the other’s forehead. He told him what he truly felt, but never said that he still,even up till now, loved Hiccup dearly. That he was in fact the only one he had ever loved this strongly. His explanation was only half the truth and he even threw in a lie, just to push him away.

What was he doing? Why did he have to do this? Why was he lying? He knew with that lie he was hurting Hiccup even more. Even if he tried to hide that small fraction, Jack had seen a glimpse of it. But this was the final blow. Even after forgiving him for all the hurt he had caused, he had to do it—he had to shatter every hope of Hiccup and him being together – or else he would just continue to hurt him. And that was killing Jack even more.

The albino had left Hiccup’s apartment without his heart. He had left it there where it always has been and always would be. There was no one else in the world that could make him fall in love as much as the auburn did. It was too late when Jack realized that Hiccup owned his heart, mind, body and soul even if the auburn was oblivious to it himself. He belonged to no one else except Hiccup. It was true when he said that he never deserved Hiccup. And he never will because he had caused him too much hurt.

_How ironic, I’m saying I love him and yet I’m hurting him. Moon I’m so fucked up._

Jack hit his head on the wheel. It had all started with a single wrong move. He promised himself that he wouldn’t let this relationship with Hiccup end up a mess, but it did. He thought he had graduated from it, but he was wrong. After all these years… _I still make a mess out of everything._ He wanted to turn back time and prevent himself from making that wrong move that night, but sadly there was no time machine. He couldn’t make the clock reverse. It was done and could not be erased.

He looked up from where his head was slumped over and wiped the tears away from his eyes. He saw two familiar figures go up to the apartment building. Jack recognized the pair asHiro and Toothless. Hiro was pulling this large white balloon man while Toothless was holding a bagful of food. He didn’t have to guess what the two were doing there. After what Jack did, Hiccup would need his friends. With a final glance to Hiccup’s window, Jack started his car and sped away.

* * *

 

Jack felt sunlight hit his eyes and he groaned. He slung his arm over his face, trying to block the light filtering into his room. He tried to go back to sleep, but it seemed as if the world wanted to make sure he didn’t and the alarm on his bedside started to blare. He moaned irritably but he made no move to get up. Suddenly he felt the portion of the bed beside him shift and warm soft lips touched his cold chapped ones. He froze, surprised at the gesture but didn’t take long before he smiled and kissed back. He felt hands gently lie atop his chest and he moved his hand to entwine themtogether. He felt the pair of lips kissing him smile. Jack knew who this was. How could he ever forget?

There was no one else who had these tender yet calloused hands. There was also no one else in the world who held his hands like this. Like puzzle pieces, they fit perfectly as though they weremeant to hold each other. Even with eyes closed he knew they were peppered with freckles. He felt those skilled hands run through his white locks, giving them a soft tug before breaking away from the kiss. He slowly opened his eyes and looking back at him was the most beautiful shade of green he had ever seen. A soft smile spread across those lips he always loved to kiss and Jack smiled back. He let out a soft laugh as he saw his angel’s auburn hair sticking out in odd angles. The green eyes rolled but a smile was still present in those lips. Jack grinned and pulled the auburn into a hug and he buried his face onto the soft locks.

“Come on snowflake, you have to get up.” A muffled voice told him.

“I don’t want to. I wanna stay with you like this.” He replied. _Forever._

“You do know you can’t keep sleeping, right? You have to wake up,” the auburn said, but Jack felt arms wrap around him. “You can’t stay like this. You have to go back…”

Jack shut his eyes and clung to the auburn tighter. _I don’t want to wake up. I want to stay with you. I don’t want to go back._

“Jack, I don’t want to keep you away from her. You’re getting married, remember?”

The albino felt tears stinging his eyes at his words. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lied. I’m so sorry. H—”

“No need to worry about it anymore. It’s okay. I forgive you, Jack.” Jack felt the arms wrapped around him loosen their grip. He tried to hold on but even if he was able to grab them, they were slipping away from his hold.

 _No! Please! Hiccup! I― I still love you. I always have. Please, don’t let go of me._ But even as Jack called for the auburn, he was fading away. The last thing Jack saw was that soft smile before he was engulfed by darkness.

Jack woke sitting up and breathing heavily. He ran his hand through his hair and pulled at it. Tears have started to stream down his cheeks. He spotted the blue hoodie with frost patterns right next to him and his hands reached out to hold it. He clutched it close to his chest, taking inthe scent of pine and autumn―Hiccup’s scent. He hugged it and cried silently.

It had been a week since he had been to Hiccup’s apartment and dreams of the auburn had plagued him ever since. Up till now he couldn’t stop thinking of how stupid he was. How could he have said to Hiccup that he still loved him? That his feelings never changed? That unlike what the auburn thought he wasn’t marrying anyone? It was clear from the start: he had never intended to have a lasting relationship with Elsa. Because there was really no Jack _and_ Elsa.

But Jack shook his head. _No._ He knew he couldn’t tell Hiccup. Not after lying and hurting him all over again. Moon knew how much he had hurt the auburn and he didn’t want to do that anymore. He just wanted to stop being the reason why Hiccup was hurt. So the moment he walked out of the auburn’s apartment he had promised himself, that no matter what, he would never tell Hiccup his true feelings—even if it meant loving him from afar and never being able to hold him again. He would live his life away from the person he loved, despite Hiccup being at arm’s length, every second of it killing him. He had done this to himself. He deserved it.

* * *

 

It was a Friday afternoon when Jack found himself lining up to the counter of The Lucky Cat Café. It was a branch that had just opened up in downtown Berk. An old college friend of his, Hans Sutherland, had told him about the café and he had nothing but good words about it, so he decided to check it out. He had a whole month off from work since his performance on the last day in the production of Phantom of the Operahad been a great success. He played the role of Erik, the Opera Ghost himself. It was scary how he connected so well to the character, but he should have seen that coming. He and Erik had a lot of similarities. They found pleasure in playing tricks, they were filled with lies and both loved a person so deeply.They were also both monsters—Erik for his appearance and his crimes, and Jack for what he had done to his auburn angel. They both had also hurt the person they loved and gave up because they knew the person’s happiness would not be found in their arms. It was definitely a role befitting of him.

The woman in the counter called for the next costumer and Jack stepped up. She greeted him with a warm smile. She had soft brown hair that was just a few inches above her shoulders, her grey eyes had a kind of sparkle to them and her face radiated such warmth and beauty that it was hard to tell her real age. But Jack had to guess she was older than him.

“Hi, welcome to the Lucky Cat Café. What will you be having today sweetie?” she asked him.

Jack returned the smile. “A friend of mine told me you serve the best hot chocolate drink here. I’ll be having a Grande please.”

She smiled wider at him. “Well, your friend was right about that. It’s one of our best sellers. Will that be a take-out sweetie?” the woman asked, punching in his order.

“Yes, please.”

“Would you like to have something to go with it?” she asked, gesturing to the trays of pastries on the display.

“Thanks but I’m good.”

“Your name honey?”

“Jack.”

“Okay Jack, it’ll only take a minute.” Quickly typing in his order on the register, the woman—her name was Cass, according to the name tag—worked on making his drink. Her hands moved expertly, every action calculated in perfect sync as she prepared the albino’s order. It didn’t even take a minute before she came back facing Jack, handing him a cup of steaming hot chocolate. “Thank you and I hope you enjoy!” Cass said to him. Jack gave her a polite nod in thanks.

As the snow-haired male made his way to the door, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the figure that had just walked into the café. He almost dropped his drink as he recognized the person. Emerald green eyes met Jack’s cerulean ones, the auburn abruptly stopping in his steps. They stood there just staring at each other, not knowing what to do or say to the other.

Hiccup was dressed in a green flannel shirt with the two upper buttons unclasped revealing a simple grey shirt under it, denim jeans and sneakers.His clothes hugged his body, accenting his beautiful slender frame. Jack could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his lips going dry. A black hoodie that had oval shaped ears—a design he recognized as a Nightfury’s head which he had seen Hiccup draw multiple times—hid his messy auburn hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses rested on his nose. Jack had to stop himself from rushing to hug him and coo at how adorable he was.The auburn looked more like a teenager than the twenty-one year old male that he was. This was the first timeseeing each other again after the last time he visited the auburn’s apartment, which had been months ago. There was tension in the air, the noise of other people in the café enveloping them. Jack was about to break the awkward silence between him and Hiccup when the bell at the door rung, indicating someone had come in, and a voice calling for the auburn’s attention cut through.

Jack watched as the newcomer slipped an arm around Hiccup’s thin waist and planted a quick kiss on the auburn’s cheek. “Sorry I was late Henry. Fred cornered me and the others about making a shrink ra—” the guy stopped what he was saying when he finally noticed Jack in front of them. The man let out a nervous laugh, the hand that had been on Hiccup’s waist before was now massaging the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry, that was incredibly rude of me. Was I interrupting anything?” he asked worriedly.

Jack quickly shook his head. “Oh, no, not at all,” he answered with a smile. He wasn’t an actor for nothing if he couldn’t mask his real emotions and act according to the situation.

“Oh, thank goodness,” the guy said, placing a hand on his chest letting out a sigh.“I thought I just stepped into an important conversation. I’m really sorry about that,” he apologized, smiling sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it.” The albino discreetly scanned the newcomer. He was about the same height as Jack or taller, and he was more lean-muscled than him. His raven hair was mostly hidden under a cap that had a logo which he recognized as Callaghan’s Institute of Robotics—a top tier company known for its advances in technological science and large contributions to society, and he distinctly remembered there a was a program in their university sponsored by said company. The guy wore a light yellow cardigan that topped a white shirt which had a print of an equation Jack couldn’t make sense of, brown pants that were folded up revealing his ankles and a pair of mint green trainers. He was good-looking and there was no denying it, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling why he found the male familiar.

The male’s hazel eyes scanned him also. His brows furrowed deeply in thought and then his eyes widened, lighting up as though he had made a discovery. A smile quickly spread on his lips. “You’re Jackson right?” he asked.

“You know me?”

“You know him?”

He and Hiccup asked simultaneously. They glanced at each other and quickly looked away. The guy saw this and chuckled.

“I attended DreamWalt University. I was a Junior when you came in as a Freshman. We never officially met, but a friend of mine named Fred who was the school mascot mentioned you a few times. Besides, you were the first freshman to land a lead role in your department’s annual production which most of the university looked forward to. Even us in the nerd lab,” he explained, laughing a bit at his last statement. “Are you and Henry friends?” he added, pointing back and forth between Jack and Hiccup.

“Uhm—” Before Jack could finish his sentence, Hiccup, who had been standing quietly, cut him off.

“I met Hiro through him,” Hiccup supplied, giving the raven a crooked shy smile.

“Oh,” the guy nodded. “I guess I should be thanking you then. If it weren’t for you, my little brother wouldn’t have expanded his circle of friends.” He smiled thoughtfully at the albino.

“Little brother?” Jack asked his head cocked to the side in confusion.

“Right, sorry. I forgot to introduce myself,” the raven said and extended his hand towards him with a smile, “I’m Tadashi Hamada, Hiro’s big brother.”

“Wait, Hamada? As in Hiro Hamada? That cocky pipsqueak of a genius? You’re related to that Hamada?” Tadashi laughed at his words and nodded, not finding his words about his little brother offending. “So that’s why you looked familiar,” Jack mused and chuckled. He accepted the male’s hand and shook it. “Jackson Overland-Frost, nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Tadashi replied. He really did resemble Hiro, the only differences beingthat Tadashi was taller and acted more gentlemanly than his little brother.It was then that Jack rememberedhearing about a certainhalf-Japanese half-Caucasian student named Tadashi Hamada from his other classmates during his university years. He was rumoured to be one of the most pined for males in the science department. Jack had never really bothered to know about the guy since he didn’t care about such things, but now he understood where that ridiculous title had come from. And he understood why the female student body in their university would pine for said male. Tadashi exuded this aura of kindness and perfection, and it seemed as though his mere existence was too good to be true. He was the physical embodiment of any girl’s dream.

“From your cap, I guess you were inMr. Callaghan’s Robotics program?” Jack inquired.

“Yeah, got a scholarship with it so I could ease up some load from our Aunt,” he replied.

“That’s pretty impressive.” _He’s smart and a gentleman._ The albino knew getting into the CIR program was a close to impossible feat. Even if you were one of the best minds, that didn’t guarantee your acceptance and getting a recommendation letter was a killer. Mr. Callaghan was known to be strict and picky, and it was a miracle in itself if you got in.

“I guess I should let you guys catch up?” Tadashi asked Hiccup, who had remained quiet and stood still beside the raven for the past few minutes.  Jack noticed the light blush on the auburn’s freckled cheeks. Hiccup looked at Tadashi as if they were having a telepathic conversation. Their eyes exchanged words and every slight movement deciphered by the other. “I’ll just take that as a ‘yes’. I’ll order the usual then.” With that the raven dipped his head, planting a kiss on Hiccup’s cheek for the second time before going to the counter with an enthusiastic “Hey Aunt Cass!”

Jack had felt a twinge of pain at the sight but hid it well. He looked at Hiccup and smiled. “I guess that person finally came,” he said, remembering his last words to the auburn. His own words thatstabbed him right in the chest.

“I guess,” Hiccup shrugged, finding the floor more interesting than Jack’s face.

“I’m happy for you Hic.” He really was, even if it hurt him. Jack could see that Tadashi was a nice guy and he would take care of Hiccup the way Jack wasn’t able to. The raven would cherish his angel—that he was sure of. And it was enough for him.

Hiccup lifted his gaze to Jack and an embarrassed yet soft smile curved into his lips. One of the smiles that always made Jack fall harder in love with the shorter and neverfailed to brighten up his day. “Thanks,” Hiccup said.

“I’ll be heading out now. I don’t want to intrude on your time together. See ‘ya round Hic!” Jack didn’t wait for Hiccup’s reply before leaving the café with a small wave. When he was a few meters away, he looked back to see if Hiccup was looking at him too but he only saw Tadashi walking up to Hiccup with two steaming paper cups. He watched them as they left the café immediately, their hands entwined. Tadashi was talking animatedly while Hiccup listened in earnest interest, laughing and addinghis own input.

Jack’s heart ached. Two years ago, it was him in Tadashi’s position—making Hiccup laugh, holding his hand, hugging and kissing him. Now, he was just a guy in the crowd silently watching, silently wishing that he was still the person beside Hiccup.

* * *

“Why am I such an asshole?” The young adult whined as he slumped on the bar’s counter. The man sitting beside him rolled his jade eyes at the albino’s words and took away the glass that he was clutching. He was tall with bluish grey hair tied up in a pony-tail. His tank-top revealed his muscular arms which were decorated with black tribal tattoos. He was handsome and girls melted at the sound of his Australian accent coating his words every time he spoke. This was Jack’s best friend/sort-of big brother/bully E. Aster Bunnymund.

“I dunno mate. You’ve been an arse since the day I met’cha,” Aster replied, his expression remaining neutral. Jack lifted his head from the counter top and shot his best friend a glare. The man cocked an unamused brow at him and the albino looked away, slumping back into his arms.

“Thanks, it makes me feel _so_ much better,” the younger grumbled. “Give me back my drink, you stupid kangaroo.” Jack tried to grab the glass from Aster’s grasp but the other just raised it out of his reach, making the albino huff in indignation.

“Drinking won’t solve your problems ya bloke.” The Aussie smacked him on the head. Jack let out a gasp of pain and stood up from leaning against the counter. He glared daggers at the other male as he rubbed the back of his head which was throbbing from his friend’s assault. Aster was unfazed, already used to the threatening and irritated looks Jack often gave him.

“Dammit, that hurt. You didn’t need to hit me that hard.” He winced as he gently felt the spot. His friend just shrugged his shoulders.

“Thought it would wake ya up and stop ya from yammerin’.” The grey haired male took a swig from Jack’s drink, downing it to the last drop.

“Hey! I paid for that, go buy your own drink Bunny,” the younger male protested to which the other retaliated with a flick on the albino’s forehead. “Fuck. I thought you were a painter, how come your hands do so much damage?” Jack stated, rubbing his forehead which was probably red by now.

“Want me to show ya how much more damage they can cause mate?” The Aussie lifted a knuckle in front of the albino and Jack slapped it away. The shorter faced the bartender and ordered drink and Aster shook his head in exasperation. “I told’ya, drinking won’t solve your problems. If ya want to stop bein’ an arsehole, then be honest with yourself.” As soon as the bartender gave the glass to Jack, Aster swiped it away from his reach. “You’re bein’ pathetic, Jack. You love Hiccup, you want him. But you’re a fuckin’ coward. Ya told me that ya were goin’ to make things right when ya went to him and then I suddenly hear from Toothless that ya told the lad ya were gettin’ married.”

“What’s with that?!” Aster threw his hands up in the air in disbelief. When he turned his eyes back to the albino, Jack saw the seriousness in them. “You’re makin’ things worse for both of ya. Stop runnin’ away,” he told him, jabbing a finger on his chest for emphasis.

Jack looked away. Bunny made perfect sense. He was right about what he said about him being a coward and running away. But how could he not? He was afraid that he would hurt Hiccup again. If he did it once, he was sure he would do it again. The only solution he could think of was staying as far away from him as possible.

“He found somebody else,” he argued. “He’s better off with Tadashi than me. The guy can take care of him better than me.” Aster scoffed and shook his head. Jack looked at him. “What?”

“You’re bein’ a drongo. _Again._ ” He pinched the bridge of his nose and added, “Would’ya just stop makin’ excuses Jack? It’s not about who can take care of Hiccup, the kid’s not a dingo. I get it ya hurt him, but don’t you think you’re hurtin’ him more with what you’re doin’?”

“Of course I know that! But what if I hurt him again?” Jack clenched his fists, shaking with anger at himself. He closed his eyes and an image of Hiccup’s pained expression flashed before him. He took a deep breath, trying to drown it out of his mind before whispering, “I don’t ever want to see him like that because of me.”

Another smack from the Aussie came to his head. Jack was seriously considering punching Bunny, but the look in his eyes told him that if he did he’ll only get hurt more. “If you’re that scared of hurtin’ him, then man up and don’t, ya bloke. What kind of demented reasonin’ told’ya that doin’ this would solve it?”

Chagrined, Jack averted his gaze again. “I always make a mess of everything,” he saidwith a frown, his voice almost inaudible. He heard his best friend sigh heavily and felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, he met Aster’s jade eyes. They looked at him in the way a brother would,trying to coax and comfort his little brother.

“Mate, a mess ain’tgonna clean itself up. If the lad’s really important to ya, if ya really value him like what ya say, then stop hidin’. Stop runnin’ away. Things won’t change if you’re stuck moping around and acting like a martyr. If you want to stop bein’ an arse, then make things right with Hiccup.” Aster leaned back on his stool and watched Jack. With another huff, the Aussie got off his seat and pulled Jack from his. He pulled a few bills from his pocket and placed it on the counter. He didn’t wait for the change and without looking back, the male started to drag his best friend out of the bar.

“Bunny, where the hell are you taking me?” Jack asked, allowing himself to be pulled out since he figured that fighting the taller male was useless.

“I’m takin’ ya home. What ya need is not a drink, but a good night’s sleep so ya can think of what ya ought to do to stop this ridiculously pitiful situation ya caused from blowin’things out of proportion while it’s still salvageable.” He stopped in front of Jack’s silver Volvo and stretched his palm out for the albino to hand him the keys. Realising that Bunny was not taking “no” for an answer, Jack handed over his car keys.

“I expect a full report on this,” he said as they slipped into the car. Jack gave him an incredulous look. “I mean it. If you’re not going to do anythin’ about it, I’ll do it myself and I’m sureNorth’ll be glad to lend a hand.Ya wouldn’t want that now, aye?”

Jack let out a groan as he saw the smirk his friend was sporting. He was pretty sure Bunny was going to stay true to his word. And if North was going to help… moon forbid it, the guy’s ideas were never within the normal scope of things. For all he knew, they might place Hiccup in a sack and bring the auburn to him all decked out in laces and ribbons. The prospect of seeing such a sight was tempting, but he knew Hiccup wouldn’t be too thrilled since he’d be getting the short end of the stick.

He massaged his temple. Jack could feel the oncoming headache this was going to give him. There would be no more hiding, no more running. As much as he had told himself to give up, to stay away, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting Hiccup. He wanted Hiccup more than anything he had ever wanted in his whole life. He also knew, though Aster never said it, that his friend just wanted him to find his peace. Jack was so sick of it himself. His being a coward, running away from his problems, and his fear of not being able to clean up the messes he made. He was sick of this about himself. He had to do this. This was his last chance to do the right thing. If Hiccup told him to go away and leave him alone, if he decided to hate him more than ever, then so be it. Jack expected no less. At least he wasn’t going to hide behind lies anymore.

* * *

 

Jack was roused from his sleep by the incessant ringing of his doorbell. With a groan the young actor pushed himself off his bed and grabbed the nearest shirt his hand could find, pulling it over his head. He quickly made his way to his door, cursing and grumbling about why anyone would even bother him at this ungodly hour. He yanked the door open with an angry, “WHAT?”

The culprit stared at him with wide aquamarine eyes, surprised by his sudden outburst. Blinking and taking in his dishevelled state—his snow white locks sticking out at odd angles as if a storm had hit it and the deep bags under his usually captivating cerulean eyes which were now bloodshot—his visitor just shook her head at him. Jack felt his anger slowly melt away, recognizing the woman standing in front of him. He let out an exasperated sigh and scrubbed his palm over his face in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout,” Jack apologized to the woman. He stepped aside and gestured for her to come in. The woman accepted his invitation and went inside. The albino excused himself to wash up and make some coffee for him and his guest.

He soon came back with two steaming hot mugs and sat himself in one of his couches. He looked at the woman over his mug of coffee. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had last seen her. She was as beautiful as always. She still held herself in that childish demeanour which they both shared. Her copper hair was kept neatly in twin braids, the streak of platinum blonde clearly visible. She was wearing a cream coloured dress that was just an inch above her knees and a light green cardigan. This was Anna Arendelle, the little sister of his short-term girlfriend Elsa.

They stared at each other for a few moments until Anna decided to finally break the silence. “I should have called. It was rude of me to have come all of a sudden,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

“Definitely should have,” Jack replied with a smirk and shook his head. Now that he had some coffee, he was finally getting a hold of his mood. He always got sour when he was abruptly woken from his sleep, especially when he had no memory of setting the alarm. It was even worse when he had a hangover, which he was now feeling with his head dully throbbing. He took the bottle of aspirin from a drawer nearby and popped one into his mouth. “So what brings you here?”

“I don’t think I need to elaborate, but you know that Elsa’s wedding is in two weeks right?” Jack nodded in response. He and Elsahad remained friends after their brief “relationship” and they were both members of the same drama troupe. They were also the crowds’ favourite pair so they had worked in several productions together through the years. And although Elsa was partly to blame for the taint and ruining of his and Hiccup’s relationship, Jack couldn’t bring himself to hate her because he was equally at fault himself.

Anna had noticed the frown on Jack’s handsome face and she knew what was going on in the albino’s mind. She reached for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. She gave him one of those soft and apologetic smiles. Her aquamarine eyes were bright with worry and Jack felt embarrassed for making her feel that way. Anna somehow blamed herself too for what had happened to Jack’s relationship. Unfortunately, she was the one who had gotten Elsa drunk that night at the drama department’s party which eventually led to the demise of his otherwise perfect long lasting relationship.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. Jack shook his head and told her, “It’s alright.”

“How can it be?” Anna questioned him. “You haven’t been happy ever since. You may be a great actor, but I know a fake smile when I see one.”

“It’s my fault too you know. If I had just listened to Eugene and watched my liquor, it wouldn’t have happened.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. Talking about it was never easy. Even if nothing happened between them, with Jack stopping before going any further as his mind slowly sobered up and realized what he was doing, it still spelled out the same words: **He cheated on Hiccup.**

He had made a promise to himself that if he ever did anything that would ruin their relationship, he would end it at once. That same night of the “incident” he went to Hiccup’s apartment and broke it off with him. It was also the only time he cried so much after his sister’s death. He loved Hiccup so much that it hurt to leave him, but he was too scared about hurting him again. The week that followed the break up was hell to Jack, but something took his mind off it even for just a little and that was the task of pretending to be Elsa’s boyfriend.

It was really funny and weird. After that incident, the Arendelle sisters had sought him to apologize—Anna for getting her older sister drunk to loosen up, and Elsa for her lack of manners and losing rationality that almost caused them to do something they would regret. Anna had also came up with the idea of Jack pretending to be Elsa’s boyfriend to make a certain guy jealous and push him to confess. Elsa was initially horrified and scolded her sister but Jack was weak against pleading girls. The look Anna gave him broke his defensive walls and eventually got him to agree.

Jack hadn’t realized how terrible that decision was until the day Timothy came up to him while he was playing his role with Elsa and punched him, telling him to “stay the fuck away from Hiccup or I’ll beat the living shit out of you”. Elsa was unaware of Jack’s relationship status with Hiccup and felt responsible for making things worse. Anna felt even worse than her sister since it was her idea. But Jack told them it wasn’t their fault since he agreed to help and he had ended it with Hiccup before Anna even proposed the plan. Elsa didn’t want the act to continue but it wasn’t necessary since the guy they were planning to make jealous came out of nowhere and punched Jack in the face. The next thing he knew, Elsa and Hans Sutherland had gone off to talk things through while Anna treated his facewhich was slowly developing a bruise. It didn’t take long before Hans and Elsa came back and the guy apologized to him. The incident had led to him building a steady friendship with Hans and the Arendelle sisters.

“It’s already in the past, we can’t do anything about it,” Jack said to Anna with a smile. “But, I can try to make things right in the present.” Anna returned the smile. They were both thankful that the awkward air that had enveloped them was gone now. “So going back, what brings you here?”

Anna instantly sat up straight and placed down her mug back on the table. “Like I was saying, Elsa’s getting married in two weeks and well, I know it’s a late notice, but we want you to sing in her wedding.”

Jack almost snorted coffee out of his nose after hearing the woman’s words. “Y-You want me to sing? In her w-wedding?” he asked, making sure he had heard her right. Anna nodded excitedly and clasped her hands together, giving him her puppy-eye look. Jack cursed inwardly, he hated that she knew it would work on him. Through the years, Anna had become like a little sister to him. “Can’t you ask someone else?”

“Please? Beside, Hans insisted too.” She pleaded. “And I’m going to sing there with you since it’s a duet! Kristoff could do it, but he thought you would be better suited for it and you know how he hates singing in front of crowds. So pretty please?”

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine. Just give me the piece so I can practice it.” Anna gave him a hug and thanked him profusely. When she drew back she wrinkled her nose at him.

“You seriously need to take a bath.” Jack laughed and pinched her nose which made her whine and slap his hand away.

“It’s your fault for hugging me all of a sudden.” He followed Anna as she stood up from her seat and got something from her bag. It was icy blue in colour with a snow-flake serving as the seal. He admired the handiwork of the wedding invitation and hummed his approval at the design. _They really pulled off that snow queen thing Elsa wanted._

“By the way, we’ll send you the tux you’re wearing by next week.” Jack nodded in response and opened the door as he escorted her out of his apartment. With a kiss to the cheek and another comment about his state, Anna bid farewell to himwith a last minute shout that she would update him about their rehearsals.

The cerulean eyed malereturned inside and stomped towards his bedroom. He dropped onto his bed, the invitation still in his hands. He stared at it, remembering how Elsa and Hans relationship was like at first. To Jack, it felt like the two were taking it a little too fast. But he was happy for them. If he looked deeper inside him, he would see that he was just envious of the couple. The two’s relationship didn’t start out as bright as it was now, they had faced a lot of challenges along the way but they still came out strong and their love for each other had grown stronger than ever.

Jack let out a sigh. Maybeif he hadn’t been such a coward, if he hadn’t given up so easily on Hiccup, they would be like Hans and Elsa. Except he knew that Hiccup would have liked to take it slow and pursue their dreams first. That only when they were more established with themselves and finally ready to take it to that level, he would gladly accept Jack’s proposal. But that was a pipe dream for him now. First he had to get him back, if that was even possible after what he did.

_Hopefully, I won’t mess it up the third time._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the conclusion is here!!
> 
> If there are errors, I do apologize for them. Hope you enjoy reading! And let me hear what you guys think. he-he Thank you!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Henry stared at his hands which were clenched on top of his lap. He couldn’t go on like this. He couldn’t help feeling that this was wrong. That what he was doing was wrong. He didn’t understand why it felt that way, but it just did. He was currently sitting inside a nice restaurant, waiting for his date to come back from the bathroom. It was their third that month. It had all started out as a charade when Tadashi had seen him frozen in his spot as he and Jack stared at each other. He had been surprised at first when the raven had slipped his hand around his waist and given him a kiss on the cheek. Like with Hiro and Toothless, Henry was able to hold telepathic conversations with Tadashi and he understood that the man was only trying to help him get through his unexpected encounter with Jack.

He had noticed something strange with how Jack acted. He had stolen glances at the albino and tried to read the expression in his eyes. He smiled and talked nicely with Tadashi, but somehow Henry had felt that Jack was hiding something behind his friendly interactions. He had dated Jack for two years; it would be strange if he didn’t notice such things from the albino. And when Tadashi had whispered “He’s still looking”, Henry’s suspicions only grew even more. They continued the act outside the café and it was only a few moments later when the raven had told him that Jack was no longer in sight did he let go of his hand.

And to Henry’s surprise, a day later Tadashihad officially asked him out.

He had enjoyed their dates together. Tadashi was a gentleman the whole time, he never pushed when he had asked for something that made Henry uncomfortable, they never ran out of things to talk about, they had similar interests, and his company was very nice. But Henry didn’t feel anything romantic towards Tadashi. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he was Hiro’s older brother, though it also made it awkward on some levels. They had gotten to know each other personally but Henry didn’t see Tadashi any more than a friend and a big brother figure. He was handsome, smart, caring, and had a great sense of humor. People would probably tell him: What more could you ask for? But he just didn’t see him in that kind of way.

He felt guilty for going out on dates with him knowing that he couldn’t give anything more than just friendship to the guy. It felt even worse when Tadashi had admitted that he had admired him the first time Hiro had introduced him but just never found the courage to confess, not to mention knowing that he was in a relationship with someone else prevented him from doing so. Sometimes, Henry wished that it was Tadashi he had dated instead of Jack, maybe if that had happened he probably wouldn’t be this miserable. But who was he kidding? The feelings he still had for the stupid white-haired male was stronger than anything that he had ever had for anyone. And that was why he didn’t want to continue this anymore. Tadashi was no Jack. He should tell the older Hamada straight out that he couldn’t go out with him anymore, not in this kind of setting anyway.

He was snapped out of his musings when he heard Tadashi sit back down in front of him. The raven smiled at him and Henry returned it with his awkward one, feeling his cheeks heat up. Henry was about to say something when a waiter suddenly arrived to take their orders. The auburn mentally cursed the waiter’s timing but felt embarrassed for acting so childishly. The waiter left soon after, leaving the two males by themselves.

“Do you like the place?” Tadashi asked him. Henry nodded in response.

“It’s really nice. I’ve only heard about it from my co-worker, well more like my boss,” he laughed awkwardly scratching his cheek. “I never thought it was this great.”

Tadashi chuckled. “I’m glad you find it to your liking.” The sincere smile the raven gave him made Henry feel bad. He couldn’t bring himself to ruin the mood so he just kept quiet. Maybe he’d find a good timing later.

* * *

 

The date was already reaching its end and Henry still hadn’t told Tadashi what he wanted to say. The auburn wanted to bang his head on the car’s window but decided against it since it wasn’t his but Tadashi’s. The Asian was walking him towards his apartment door when he finally found the courage to face him and tell him. Henry stared at Tadashi and opened his mouth but the words wouldn’t come out. Tadashi looked at him surprised, but soon his face softened and he seemed to understand what Henry was going to say.

“I guess this is our last date,” Tadashi said. He didn’t look hurt as he said it. In fact, it looked like he was expecting this kind of thing to happen. “You were being too nice not to turn me down.”

Henry looked at his feet. “I’m sorry, it’s just—”

“You still love him.” Henry raised his head in surprise and Tadashi only smiled, but this time he could see the glint of pain in his hazel eyes.

“Was I that obvious?” was the only thing he could say that moment.

“I wouldn’t say obvious, but I felt it. I mean, it’s not easy to get over someone. And you’ve been with him for a long time. Plus, Hiro kind of gave me a heads up not to expect too much,” Tadashi answered with a laugh.

“Sorry, I just thought going out with you might make me forget Jack… but in the end, it just made me remember him more.” He knew it was harsh. Every time Tadashi held his hand, gave him a hug, kissed him on the cheek, or did those little things that would make someone’s heart flutter, Henry couldn’t stop comparing them to how he felt when it was Jack doing them instead. It was unfair and ridiculous since it wasn’t doing anyone any good. It was only making him feel worse knowing that he would never feel it again because there was only one Jackson Overland-Frost in the world and Henry could not and would never have him.

“Hey it’s okay, don’t worry about it. But tell me… did you have fun spending time with me?”

Henry smiled earnestly and nodded. “I did. You were the first date I ever had after a year or so, and I really enjoyed it. You were fun to be with.” Tadashi smiled happily.

“At least that’s a great compensation,” he laughed and Henry joined in. “Besides, it’s not like I can’t see you anymore. We’re friends now, unlike before when I was just your best friend’s big brother.”

The auburn let out a short laugh. “Took us pretty long before we got to this point.”

“Indeed.”

“I’m really sorry though. You’re a great guy and if I just hadn’t fallen for that stupid winter spirit, this might not be how things end tonight.” Tadashi reached out to ruffle his hair.

“We can’t pick who we fall for,” the raven said softly. “But we can choose who could hurt us.” He pulled him into a hug and planted a kiss on his forehead. Henry hugged him back, he would be lying if he said he didn’t like Tadashi’s hug. He was one of those people whose hugs would just melt you and cause your walls to crumble and start to make you cry.

“I really like you. I wish you were the one who I fell for.” Henry felt Tadashi comb his fingers through his hair and made soothing sounds to calm him down. He had never cried like this in front of anyone, not even Toothless and Hiro. His two best friends would usually arrive or he would call them when he was done crying. He didn’t want to let them see how vulnerable he was. He knew that they knew, but he didn’t want them to see him like this. He didn’t want them to see what Jack had done to him. Odin knows what those two would do to him. He didn’t want them to go to jail and he didn’t want them to hurt Jack. But when it came to Tadashi it felt alright. It felt okay to let everything out to the raven.

“I hate that I still love him after all this time. I tried to get over him, but I just can’t. It hurts a lot more than before. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry I can’t return your feelings. I feel so stupid. You’re a great guy and I like you but I can’t understand why I’m like this. I can’t get him out of my head. Why am I so messed up? This whole situation with Jack is messed up. I want to get over him, to just forget but I— I just— I can’t. Why can’t I?”

Henry continued to sob in Tadashi’s arms as the latter comforted and held him. It felt nice to have someone like this, but it made him feel ashamed because it seemed like he was only using the raven as his crying pillow. And he also felt like Jack for using Tadashi. Apologies didn’t cut it. He was hurting him in the same way Jack had hurt him. Was Tadashi feeling how he felt when Jack had apologized for not being able to return his feelings despite liking him? He probably was. Maybe Tadashi knew how to handle it better than Henry. Or maybe it was just as Tadashi said, he was expecting something like this, so it didn’t hurt that much. But it still didn’t change the fact that he was also hurting him.

“Hey, I’m okay. I gladly accept the pain,” Tadashi told him. Henry didn’t realize that he was saying his thoughts out loud and that made him feel embarrassed. “You’re not messed up Henry. It just means you’re not ready to let go. It’ll take time before you get over him, but at least you’re trying to. I think the reason you can’t is partly because you can’t stop thinking about him. Just try to occupy yourself with something else, but it doesn’t mean you have to find someone else to replace him with.”

Henry nodded. “I know. It just makes it worse.”

Tadashi drew back from him and cupped his face. He gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ve got your friends, you’ve got a job, your family is there. There are a lot of things in the world that you could go out and see and occupy yourself with. Think about yourself more and not just about the stupid guy who let go of such an amazing person like you.”

The auburn laughed and wiped the tears away that were staining his cheeks. “Thanks, I feel better now.” He smiled, like a real smile for the very first time in so long. He did feel lighter. Somehow the load that he was carrying inside of him had lessened. “I guess all I needed was a human crying pillow.” He said jokingly, making the raven laugh. “Sorry about your shirt.”

Tadashi looked down at his shirt that was wet with tears and probably snot too. Henry blushed in embarrassment and pulled on the little braid behind his right ear. “It’s okay, I’m glad I could make you feel better.”

“Thanks again. For the date and everything,” Henry said waving his hand, gesturing vaguely.

“You’re very welcome. I had fun. And if you need something or just someone to listen to your woes and whatnots, you can call me and I’ll be there. So see you around?”

“I had fun too. And thanks a lot, I’ll be sure to do that if I can’t handle it. See you around.” The raven smiled and dipped his head to give one last kiss on Henry’s cheek before retreating and waving his hand in good-bye. The auburn followed Tadashi with his emerald eyes until he was no longer in sight. Sighing, the auburn male went inside his apartment. He suddenly felt so tired and simply walked towards his bedroom, throwing himself onto the bed without changing. It didn’t take long before sleep took him and he was dreaming about snowand a mischievous cerulean eyed spirit.

* * *

 

The sound of metal hitting metal, cement being mixed, walls being drilled and shouting men filled Henry Haddock’s ears as he looked at the blueprints lying in front of him. He had been asked to oversee the construction of the new building belonging to Sutherland Corporation since the head of the project was currently checking on another project. Henry was new in the firm but because of his university record and recommendation (his familial connections somehow helped, which he didn’t feel comfortable about), and with his performance in just a few months the heads were confident enough to trust him to assistin such a big project as this. The young auburn was busy giving instructions to some of the men when he felt an arm drape over his shoulder. The men Henry were talking to stiffened and gave polite greetings to the newcomer.

It was only Henry who didn’t seem to be fazed by the presence of the new arrival, since he knew who it was.

“How’s my favorite engineer doing?” the man asked, pinching his cheeks. Henry groaned in irritation and slipped away from the man’s grasp, rubbing his pinched cheek.

He raised an unamused brow at the guy. The male smiled apologetically at him but his grey eyes sparkled with mirth. The guy’s burgundy colored hair was combed well, without a single strand sticking out in an odd angle unlike the auburn’s shaggy hair. He was wearing a light colored polo tee that brought out the color of his eyes and expensive looking pants and shoes. His attire was simple, but the way he carried himself spoke of confidence and high status. This was Hans Sutherland, one of the CEO’s sons and also a member of the board of directors.

“What do you want Hans?” Henry simply asked.

“Aww, come on. Aren’t we friends? Can’t you give me a warmer greeting?” The redhead asked in mock hurt.

The auburn just rolled his eyes. It was true, and even if they had known each other for less than a month they had already become fast friends. It was probably because they both wanted to prove themselves to their parents and had been bestowed the title of useless and nuisance by the people around them at such a young age. Thankfully, the two of them had gotten over that phase of their lives and decided to focus on finding their own happiness and new dreams to fulfill. Unfortunately, it seemed that Hans was getting more out of that department than Henry.

“If you’re going to invite me for another drink, I am telling you that you’ll never get me to drink _ever again_. Odin knows I can’t hold my liquor.” Hans laughed at the comment and shook his head.

“No, not at all, I wouldn’t want a repeat of _that_.” Apparently the first time they had gone out drinking, Henry had ended up with a hiccupping fit after a few glasses, causing other people’s attention to turn to him (although truth be told he had already caught their attention in ways he didn’t like before the fit). Some of them had made mocking comments which annoyed him immensely, and a fight had broken out during which the auburn exhibited his mad Viking fighting skills that resulted in the men being sent straight to the hospital. To Hans’ utter surprise, Henry passed out right after. And he only had three glasses that didn’t even contain high alcohol content! Fortunately, Kristoff had been there to pacify the situation before it got even worse. They had called the first number that was in the auburn’s contacts and Toothless had immediately arrived to pick Henry up. It had been one of the most terrifying nights in Hans’ life and truthfully one of the ones he had truly enjoyed.

Henry, on the other hand, hadn’t found it as thrilling as Hans. He had apologized to the guys he had beaten up, his face so red that it put his cousin Merida’s hair to shame.

“So what brings you here?” The bell signaling the start of the lunch break had rung, and the auburn moved to roll up the blue prints, carefully putting them in their tubes. He tried to hide the blush on his cheeks. He really didn’t want to revisit that memory.

“Well, you know I’m getting married right?” Henry nodded in reply and looked at Hans as he continued. “I wanted to invite you, I kind of forgot to bring the invitation though— but don’t worry I got it covered!”

“I’ll have to check my schedule and see if I can come. When is it anyway?”

Hans smiled sheepishly at him. ”It’s tomorrow.”

Henry dropped what he was holding and stared at the redhead. “Tomorrow?” The guy nodded and smiled wider. “You do know tomorrow’s my day off and I might already have something planned, right?”

“I’ve checked with the firm and your friends. You’re free tomorrow. If you’re worried about what to wear, I already have a suit to be delivered to you later.”

“Your wife-to-be should be warned about how much of a schemer you are.” Henry glared playfully at the man.

“Oh, she’s more cunning than I am, I assure you. I should be the one who’s careful, if you ask me.” The auburn just shook his head at his friend. Hans had never introduced Henry to his girlfriend-turned-fiancée and he didn’t want to pry (it was none of his business despite his curiosity), but she sounded like a great lady. The way the redhead talked about her showed how smitten he was too, and it was obvious that she could handle the man herself.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll come to the ceremony. Something might come up, you know.”

“As long as you can finally meet her. Just don’t be too late Henry.” Hans gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving. “I’ll send you the address of the venue. You better come okay?” he called to his friend.

“Yeah, whatever. You owe me!” Henry called back and the redhead gave him a thumb’s up before giving him a two finger salute in farewell.

The auburn sighed. He just wished this wouldn’t end up like the last time he had invited him out.

* * *

 

Henry stared at his reflection in the full-body mirror inside his room. He was wearing a black tuxedo and the button up shirt beneath it was a deep green color which brought out his eyes. It was surprising that Hans actually knew his size. The suit was a perfect fit and to his utter humiliation and discomfort, it brought out the curves that Hiro and Toothless had often teased him about. It didn’t help that his legs, despite being well-muscled and hidden under his pants, still rivaled those of a lady. It was emasculating really, but he shouldn’t blame it on his mother’s genes that seemed to be the dominant one between his dad and hers. It explained his personality (especially the stubbornness and the rebellious streak) and his general appearance a lot. He did look very much like his mom if she had been male with a few dashes of his dad here and there.

By some miracle, Henry had also managed to tame his unruly mane of auburn hair. He had combed it back and put a few bobby pins to keep the locks out of his face. Though his bangs refused to do his bidding and hung loosely over his eyes, he still looked okay. His hair now resembled that of a man named Ai Mikaze who was a member of a pop boy band. Henry shook his head. Sometimes he wondered if it was really good to have learned how to style his hair from Honey. He’d just stay on the neutral side. Giving himself one last check in the mirror, the young adult grabbed his keys, wallet and phone and made his way towards the door.

He had turned the key and locked the door when his phone started to ring out of the blue. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Hiro who was calling. He swiped his thumb over the bar before answered.

“Hey, make it quick I’m about to get in my car and drive.” The auburn greeted as he got into the elevator and punched the button for the first floor.

“Wait, where the heck are you going? I thought we were going to watch a movie at Toothless’ place?” Hiro asked in confusion. Henry heard his friend gasp and scold someone. He realized that it was their cat Mochi the ebony haired male had addressed when a loud hissing came next.

“Didn’t we postpone that to tomorrow? Besides, I’ve already mailed you two that I can’t hang out tonight.” He answered, opening his black Chevvy and slipping inside.

“Shit, I haven’t been checking my mail lately, my bad. Anyways, where the heck are you going? You never go out on Saturday unless it’s dinner with your family or Toothless and I drag you out of your hole.” Henry could imagine his friend cocking a suspicious brow at him. He rolled his eyes, which was pretty useless since Hiro couldn’t see him.

“Can’t a guy go out when he wants to?” The scoff he heard from Hiro made him groan. “I do have a social life, thank you very much.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s bordering on non-existent,” Hiro stated simply, the teasing smile so obvious. “Just tell me where you’re going dude.”

Henry put on his Bluetooth earpiece and placed his phone on its stand by the dashboard. “I’m going to a friend’s wedding. Last minute invitation,” he told the ebony haired male and started the car.

“W-Wedding?! WHO’S WEDDING?” Hiro all but shouted into the phone, making the auburn wince at the sound.

“Jeez, Hiro do you plan on making me deaf?” He complained, digging a finger into his ear.

“Just answer the question! Who’s wedding?”

“Hans. Hans Sutherland, the guy I met at work a month ago.” He was confused why Hiro sounded panicky when he told him he was going to a wedding. Alright, so maybe it was the first wedding he was attending where he would be aware of what was happening around him. But it shouldn’t be that much big of a deal right?

“Hiccup, you can’t go there. Do not attend that. You will not and must never, by all means and rationality, attend that wedding!” Now that was even more confusing. Why was Hiro acting this way?

“Hiro, I’m already fifteen minutes away from the venue. In fact, I’m already late for the reception. And Hans even gave me a suit to wear. I can’t just not go.” Henry argued with a sigh.

“But you can’t! I am telling you, you shouldn’t attend that wedding!” He could imagine his friend flailing his hands to emphasize his sentence but Henry still didn’t get it. Why shouldn’t he attend?

“Give me one good reason why I can’t and I’ll consider not going,” he proposed. He heard Hiro whimper on the other line. He was clearly frustrated at his idea.

“I can’t Hiccup. But trust me. It’s better for you not to attend it.” His friend was pleading with him, but unless he explained and gave him a valid argument not to, Henry was not backing up.

“I don’t know what’s making you say that. But I’m really sorry. I gave my word to Hans that I would go. It would be rude especially since he even sent me a custom suit to wear. I’ll call you later if something happens. Bye Hiro.”

“Hiccup do—” But the auburn had already hung up. Hiro was acting very strange. But how could he understand whywhen his friend refused to say anything? He didn’t sound too thrilled about telling him the reason why he shouldn’t attend Hans’ wedding, but Henry just shrugged it off. Maybe he was worried that Hans would accidentally get him accidentally again. _Yeah, that’s probably it._

After arriving at the hotel Hans had mailed him about, it didn’t take long before Henry found himself being escorted by one of the employees to the function hall where the wedding reception was being held. His name was checked off on the list of guests and as Henry passed through the doors, he couldn’t help but be amazed by the place. The theme of the event was winter. Snowflakes and icicles hung in the ceiling, sparkling beautifully as they reflected the soft light. The motif was an icy blue and a snow white color. There were various decorations all depicting winter and it made Henry’s heart ache because they reminded him of Jack. The albino’s favorite season was winter and all of his favorite things always had to do something with winter. Henry tried to shake off the sudden pang of nostalgia and the growing twinge of pain in his heart. His attention was immediately taken away from thoughts of Jack when he spotted the large wedding cake which resembled a magnificent ice palace.

“Odin’s beard….” He whispered in awe at the sight. It wasn’t just a simple wedding cake. It was a work of art. He knew he was probably gaping at the sight but he couldn’t help himself. It really was a sight to behold.

The young adult was snapped out of his stupor when he felt someone pat his shoulder. “I almost cried when I saw it, but even though I realized it wasn’t made of ice, it’s still awesome.” Henry turned and saw that it was Kristoff. He was sniffing and dabbing at a non-existent tear on the corner of his eye.

Henry turned back to the wedding cake and let out a content sigh. “It sure is a masterpiece.”

“I cannot believe that you two are admiring the cake more than the newlyweds,” Hans’ voice said out of nowhere, snapping Henry out of his admiration. He faced the redhead,who had now left his bachelor life for good, and smiled.

“Congratulations.” he greeted him. “I gotta say that wedding cake sure is amazing.”

“I know! It was crazy. I had to find a baker that would take on the challenge. Thankfully, someone referred me to a patisserie. And if you guys need someone that can make such an amazing cake like that, I’ll gladly give you PeetaMellark’s number.” Hans let out a sigh and admired the cake too.

“So where’s the new Mrs. Sutherland you’re always bragging about?” Henry raised a brow teasingly at Hans. The redhead laughed.

“She’s taking a short bathroom break. When she comes back, there’s a special number for the couple’s first dance. Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you to her soon enough.”

“Wow, I’m dying of curiosity here. You never shut up about her,” the auburn shook his head with a light laugh. Hans gave him a playful punch, smiling with his cheeks tainted a faint red, embarrassed at his own behavior.

“I’m glad I don’t look like a love sick puppy like you,” Kristoff remarked chuckling. “I should go back to Anna too. Later you two!”

Hans and Henry gave him a wave as he went away. “I think I have to excuse myself too. Bathroom?”

“Oh, left hall, you’ll see the sign.” And Henry was on his way.

The auburn hummed, impressed by the bathroom’s architecture. It was classy but simple in style. The lighting was soft and didn’t hurt his eyes too. Henry went to the furthest urinal that kept him out of sight. His ears perked up when he started to hear a voice humming indistinct words, but it was pleasing to listen to. The voice was smooth and deep, and it sounded familiar too. His brows creased when he suddenly though of Jack again. But he shook his head. What would Jack be doing here anyway?

A click resounded in the otherwise empty bathroom and one of the cubicle doors opened. Henry didn’t bother to look and simply focused on the task of emptying his bladder. The gushing of water was followed by whistling, and Henry found himself recognizing the tune. Suddenly a crisp “Shit” pierced the air and there was the sound of hurried footstepsbefore the stranger was out of the bathroom in seconds. Henry was stuck at his spot. He had recognized that voice. He knew that voice. But no, it shouldn’t be possible. The auburn zipped up his pants and went to wash his hands. He tried to drown out the thoughts of the stranger and the sinking feeling in his stomach. Something caught his eye and he noticed that there was a wallet sitting atop the one of the sinks. Drying his hands, the auburn went to pick it up.

It was obvious that someone had forgotten about it. He was no thief and if he wanted to find its owner, he should check if there was an identification card in it. With no second thoughts, Henry flipped the wallet open and found himself staring. It wasn’t the huge amount of cash and credit cards that got him staring, but the picture of an auburn haired male. The person in the picture looked like he was in his late teens and he was holding a book that he was reading intently. The glasses he was wearing was positioned crookedly on his button nose. He was wearing a long sleeved green shirt with black stripes. His other hand was holding a steaming hot cup of what Henry knew was hot chocolate.

He remembered that day. It wasjust after his final exams and he had decided to relax in the campus café with a book. He had been in his senior year in this picture. He didn’t want to assume who owned this wallet but when he took out one of the IDs, he could feel the sting in his eyes. The name Jackson Overland-Frost was clearly written on it and he found himself shaking his head.

_This isn’t real. I am just imagining this. I am hallucinating. I am very hungry and I am starting to see things._ But the wallet he was holding wasn’t disappearing in his hands. He was really holding Jack’s wallet. Henry thumbed through the wallet and found other photos tucked inside it. The most recent was a photo of him laughing while he was inside a bookstore with his two best friends. It had been taken just a month or so ago, he knew because it was the day before he had met up with Jack again after their breakup.

_Why does he have these?_ Henry didn’t want to accept the answer. He wanted to stop hoping. But this was enough evidence and though he hated it, his heart was beating fast with excitement and anticipation.

_But he’s getting married!_ shouted the sensible part of his brain.

_Then how come he has photos of you in his wallet that dated back from your college days?_ argued the other.

_He must’ve forgotten to throw them away._

_Uh-huh, right. But those were taken after he broke up with you._

Henry shook his head. _No._ He had to stop arguing with himself. Jack had said he couldn’t return his feelings, he was getting married and he’s happy now.  He had decided to let him go, to get over him! His resolve must not falter at the sight of this. It wasn’t enough to start making him hope. _Right, we’re over. There’s no more chance for us._ Henry put the photos back in the wallet and pocketed it. He should just leave it in the lost and found section, but first he had to go back to the function hall. The auburn checked his appearance in the mirror. He looked a little shaken and his eyes seemed glassy with unshed tears, otherwise he seemed fine. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open and made his way back to the party.

As he entered the hall, he was immediately greeted by the sight of a certain albino standing on the small stage together with a beautiful girl and the band. He was dressed similarly to Henry but instead of a deep green button down, his was a dark blue.

“I had a front row seat to watch how their relationship blossomed. I even got a bruise mind you, and it was thanks to Anna’s elaborate plan of getting her sister and Hans together. They went through a lot and they overcame all of it with each other. I’m happy that you two, _finally_ , are officially one. Congratulations! To the newlyweds and my dear friends Hans and Elsa, I hope you enjoy this song for your first dance as a couple.”

After Jack’s small speech, the lights dimmed and the band started to play the melodyHenry had heard being hummed inside the bathroom earlier. The auburn saw Hans stand up from a table and offer his hand to a beautiful woman whom he recognized as none other than Elsa Arendelle. Confusion stirred inside Henry’s mind. _What is going on?_

Jack had told him he was getting married to Elsa. But the scene playing out in front of his eyes said something else. The albino’s speech had indicated otherwise too. He had referred to them as _newlyweds_ and _dear friends_. There was only one thing Henry could think of that that explained everything: _Jack lied to me.Again._

The other male’s wonderful voice could be heard from the speakers as he sang. The audience heads were swaying along with the melody and Henry could see the way Hans and Elsa were looking at each other. There were content smiles on the couple’s lips. They looked so happy in each other’s arms and it was obvious they were deeply in love. Henry expected some pain knowing that he couldn’t have what they had, but he could only smile and feel glad for them.

Henry’s gaze was suddenly drawn to the stage and hiseyes met the singer’s. Cerulean clashed with emerald and they just stared at each other, mesmerized. Jack almost missed his next line but caught himself at the last second when his duet partner nudged him. But unlike before, he never took his eyes off Henry. He knew he should look away and get out of there, but to his dismay he couldn’t. He was once again paralyzed in his spot by those mesmerizing eyes and he was fine with staring at Jack. He didn’t want to look away. He wanted to understand what was being conveyed by those cerulean eyes, andat the same time he wanted to believe what Jack’s eyes were saying.

**_Suddenly I’m feeling brave_ **

**_I don’t know what’s gotten into me_ **

**_Why feel this way?_ **

**_Can we dance real slow?_ **

**_Can I hold you? Can I hold you close?_ **

Jack sang the words with so much emotion and Henry understood that he was singing it for him. After a few more lines, the song ended and the spell that the auburn seemed to have been under vanished. He didn’t realize how fast his heart was beating and when Jack got down from the stage and started to make his way towards him, Henry started to step backwards. Jack noticed this and began to move faster, but Henry had already turned and pushed the doors open, running out. He knew Jack was still following him but he didn’t want to get caught. He wanted to know why Jack had lied to him but he was also scared that he might not hear what he wanted and wished to.

They were in an empty hallwaywith a view of the beautifully manicured garden on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling glass panels when Jack grabbed his arm and spun him around. Henry’s eyes widened at the sight of the other man, slowly softening before he let the tears fall as the albino pulled him into a hug.There were only the sounds of his sobbing and Jack hushing him. The auburn reveled in the familiar comfort of Jack’s arms and his fingers carding his locks.

Henry needed answers. Real answers. He wanted to know why Jack had done this—why he had hurt him so much and yet kept photos of him as though he still loved him.

“Why did you lie?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“I was scared.” Sensing that he wasn’t going to say anything, Jack continued. “I was scared that if I hurt you for the first time, I could hurt you again.”

“You sure did,” the auburn interjected bitterly.

“I know, I was stupid. I was being an ass. I was being immature.” The older male admitted, tightening his hold on him as though Henry would slip away from his arms.

Henry closed his eyes and basked in the feeling. _Please let this be real._ But he still wanted answers from the albino. He willed himself to stay calm to keep his voice from breaking. “Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

Jack let out a sigh. Henry waited for his explanation and the albino told him what really happened. About getting drunk and almost sleeping with Elsa Arendelle, about how he had cheated on him and made a mistake. He told Henry about the promise he had made to himself, that if he ever did something that would hurt the brunet he would end things immediately so that he couldn’t hurt him anymore, and that was why he had gone to Henry’s apartment and broke things off with him. The time he had seen him with Elsa, he had just been following Anna’s plan to help her out by pretending to be the blonde’s boyfriend and making Hans jealous. It worked, but it had backfired on Jack since he had hurt Henry even more.

“Timothy and Hiro told me to stay away from you and I thought it was for the best too. I thought I was going to get over these feelings I had for you, and I tried to convince myself that you’d find someone better than me, but I never expected for my feelings to grow. I wanted you so badly, but I was too scared. I was just going to hurt you so I stayed away.”

“Then why did you meet up with me after all this time? Why did you have to lie to me again?” Henry drew back to look at Jack’s eyes.

The albino looked directly at him and answered, “I was going to tell you the truth, but when I… when you started to cry and when you told me how much I hurt you… I figured it was better if I was never a part of your life anymore. I was afraid of making another mistake and making a mess of things.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier, and Henry saw the tears threatening to fall in his cerulean eyes. “I know you won’t forgive me now. I don’t deserve it. I believed that leaving you would prevent me from hurting you but I was so wrong. I didn’t understand that I was hurting you even more. And it was all because of my selfishness and cowardice. I kept running away and hiding behind the lies. I knew that, but I was a fucking idiot for not acting on it earlier. And now it’s too late, because I know I’ll never get the chance again after blowing all of it. But Hic, I just want you to know that I never stopped loving you. That even if you hate me… I’ll never stop loving you.”

Jack dropped his head onto Henry’s chest, clutching at him, and the auburn could feel the wetness on the albino’s cheeks. “I will always love you. You already own me without even knowing. But I guess you don’t want some creep to love you, huh? I never really deserved you.”

Henry knew he should be mad after hearing the truth. He should scream, hit and leave Jack without a second glance, but he couldn’t. It might have been because he had released all his hurt and anger towards Jack when they had met for the very first time again, and there was nothing left now except for the love and longing he had for the albino. All Henry could feel inside of him was happiness. He was happy that Jack had finally told him the truth. He was happy because by some miracle, Jack still loved him and had never stopped, just like him. Hearing Jack’s true side of the story made more sense than what he had said before. Henry knew that Jack was stuck on the mindset of “making a mess of things” after the death of his little sister Emma. He had blamed himself for her passing and believed that he would only hurt people that he loved. Jack was afraid of making things right because he had always believed that he would only make them worse in the end. Henry was glad that Jack had gotten over that fear.

Henry smiled and wrapped his arms around the taller male. This time it was him who comforted Jack. He ran his fingers through his soft white tresses, smiling even more because he had missed doing this. Jack’s hair still felt soft and cool to the touch. He could feel him stiffen at his sudden actions and drew back to stare at him. Jack eyes were wide in surprise and tears still fell from them. Henry smiled softly at him and wiped the tears away. It was funny how they had changed positions after a month or so.

“Hiccup…”

“It’s more like you.”

Jack blinked and Henry chuckled, making the other more confused. “The truth sounds more like you. It makes more sense than your stupid lies. How long did you think they would last?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, flushing red in embarrassment. “I don’t know. I was sure Hiro or Toothless would’ve told you. But I guess not. They hate me, like a lot.”

Henry flicked Jack’s forehead with a frown. “That’s your fault.”

“I-I know. I deserved it.” He replied, rubbing the redness from his forehead. Jack looked back to Henry. “Hic… can I try again?”

“Try what again?” Henry questioned, looking at the albino suspiciously.

“Courting you…?” Jack asked awkwardly. “You know, starting from scratch.”

“You don’t need to.” The albino’s face instantly dropped interpreting Henry’s words as a downright rejection of his feelings. Seeing this, the auburn let out a sigh and added, “You don’t need to start from scratch because you’re still here.” He patted his chest with a blush.

Jack blinked at him. “You mean…”

“Yes, you idiot.” He told him, hitting the albino on the head. “I still love you. Like your feelings, mine haven’t changed either. They just grew,” he continued, gesturing vaguely and looking away to hide the dusty pink painting his cheeks.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Jack gaping and his eyes sparkling with great joy. His famous smile soon overtook his lips and he grabbed Henry’s arm, probably to pull him into a hug—or hopefully a kiss—but it didn’t come as a hand shoved at Jack’s face and another pulled Henry away.

“You fucking douchebag, didn’t I tell you to stay away from Hiccup?!” Timothy’s voice boomed as he readied himself to punch Jack, but he was stopped when Henry grabbed his arm.

“Toothless, stop!” Henry yelled.

The male faced the auburn and directed his attention to him. “Stop?! The asshole was harassing you! Sexually harassing you! How can I just stop?!” Toothless waved his hands about angrily, incredulous as to why his friend would suggest such a stupid notion.

“If you had interrupted less dramatically maybe you would’ve found out that he wasn’t and that we’re okay now!” The auburn shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“Wait, you two are okay?” Hiro cut in, looking back forth between Henry and Jack.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, we’re okay. And you two have some explaining to do.” He glared at his two best friends.

“Explaining? What explaining?” Henry could see that Toothless was just acting ignorant and that he knew exactly what he meant. He had seen how his friend’s ears had momentarily twitched, a habit he had when he was trying to hide something.

“Oh don’t play dumb with me Mister. When were the two of you planning to tell me everything? _And I mean every single damn detail_.” The two dark haired males exchanged glances, but seeing that Henry had crossed his arms over his chest and was tapping his foot as he waited for their answer, they knew he was really mad. It wasn’t every day that Henry Haddock III cussed.

Hiro clenched and unclenched his fists, patting his sides nervously. Finally, giving in to the stern look his friend was giving him, he sighed. “Dude, we were just worried okay?” he started running a hand through his seemingly untamable hair. “We didn’t know the truth until senior year too. It was Bunny who told Toothless and he told me.”

“We thought that if you knew, you’d be all over that jackass again.” Toothless shot death glares at the albino who was standing quietly to the side, knowing that it wasn’t his place to butt into the conversation.

“We figured that we should let Jack make things right himself. I mean, it’s your problem and not ours. You guys had to fix it yourselves,” the shorter raven explained.

“Unfortunately, _Jackass_ was too scared to make a move. If he’s too afraid to make things right and tell you the truth himself, we’re not handing you back to him. He’ll have to fight tooth and nail to win you back.” Timothy let out a harsh sigh andscrubbed his palm over his face. “We just don’t want to see you hurt, okay? If that fucking douche can’t even gather the guts to stop himself from hurting you, why the hell should he have you? I’m not letting anyone who’s not strong enough to protect and fight to keep you, be your fucking boyfriend—Thor that sounded way too cheesy for me.”

The three laughed at the disgusted face Toothless made. It really didn’t suit him to say those words. The auburn smiled, knowing that his friends really cared for him. He really couldn’t blame them from being so overprotective of him. He had really worried them and felt guilty for that. He should apologize to them for that, but maybe another time. He was still supposedly mad at them at the moment. “Don’t worry, Jack’s grown up to do just that,” Henry assured his friends. “Just know that if he does something stupid again, you can hang him.” He looked at Jack, who visibly paled (and that was saying something considering he was already unusually pale for a person) as he sawToothless’ acid green eyes glint murderously and the manic grin on Hiro’s face.

Jack tugged at his tie and gulped. “I’m pretty sure I value my life as much as I value Hiccup so I won’t make any more moves to hurt him like _that_.”

“Just make sure about that Frosty. Or you wouldn’t like what’ll happen to you,” Hiro said smirking.

“Would you care for a demonstration?” Toothless inquired cracking his knuckles.

“No, I’m fully aware of what awaits me if I do anything stupid,” the albino answered, smiling tensely.

“Okay, you guys. That’s enough. Why don’t you go back to wherever you were before and just let us get back to the reception party. I mean, I bet Hans will be looking for us.” Henry pushed his two friends away before grabbing Jack’s hand to pull him away from the pair’s homicidal advances. He waved them farewell and slipped into a corner out of their sight.

“You have great friends. And they’re right about me, you know. I really don’t deserve you,” Jack told him. Henry stopped dead in his tracks, making the albino almost collide against him.

The auburn faced the taller male and his forehead creased in annoyance. “You think I don’t deserve you, but I’m telling you I don’t care. You’re the only guy I could ever ask for. You’re amazing, you’re talented, you’re smart though a goof sometimes and you’re brave. You’re just too occupied with your fears to see it. You might hurt me again, but as long as you apologize and tell me why you did it, and as long as I know that you love me, I’m going to be okay. There are risks in relationships. Sometimes we’ll hurt each other without even knowing, but we can get through it together. Isn’t that what you said about Hans and Elsa? That they overcame everything because they had each other?”

Henry reached out to hold Jack’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “Can’t we do as they did? Stay together, be there for each other and love each other? Can’t we just do that, Jack?”

Jack’s lips slowly rose into smile. He entwined their fingers together, fitting them like two lost pieces of the same puzzle. Jack stared at their hands and looked back towards him. “Yeah, we can do that,” he said, makingHenry smile. The albino pulled him closer, pressing their bodies against each other and wrapping his arms around him in an embrace. They stared lovingly into each other’s eyes, and Henry closed his eyes as Jack leaned closer, feeling cold lips press against his. The auburn hummed in content. It had been far too long since he had last kissed these lips. They both smiled as they tasted each other, the bitterness gone and only the sweetness of a new beginning remaining.


End file.
